2025-12-31-accounts

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UKRAINIAN ST. MARGARET’S SATURDAY SCHOOL SCIO

TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

Reference and Administra�ve Informa�on

Charity name: Ukrainian St. Margaret’s Saturday School SCIO Charity number: SC053287

Address: as registered under charity number SC053287 Website: www.ukrainianstmargarets.school Current Trustees: Graham Frost Chair of Trustees Malvina Kustro Trustee and teacher Marjan Pokhylyy Trustee Nataliia Shulpina Trustee and teacher (Deputy Director of Educa�on) Karina Kutuzova Trustee and parent (Safeguarding Administrator from 1 January 2026) Kateryna Holovko Trustee and parent Sandra Frost Trustee and teacher (Deputy Director of Educa�on) Kirsten Kooy Trustee (Safeguarding Administrator) (re�red 31 December 2025) John Kirk Trustee (from 1 January 2026)

Secretary and Treasurer to the Trustees:

Mar�n Pearce

Director of Educa�on:

Independent Examiner:

Eric A. Wishart

69 Promenade, Portobello, Edinburgh EH15 2DX

Structure, Governance and Management Cons�tu�on

The charity is a Sco�sh Charitable Incorporated Organisa�on (a SCIO) registered in its legal form on 17[th] April 2024 as SC053287.

Appointment and Responsibili�es of the Trustees

The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees. The minimum number of trustees is three and the maximum is eight. The Board may appoint any person to be a trustee by resolu�on passed by a majority vote at a Board mee�ng. The Board has eight trustees following the appointment of Karina Kutuzova and Kateryna Holovko as parent trustees during the year, and two co-opted advisers: the Director of Educa�on and the Secretary.

Kirsten Kooy stood down as Trustee at the end of December 2025 and was replaced by John Kirk. Marjan Pokhylyy has confirmed he will stand down as Trustee at this AGM and the Board has approved the appointment of Lady Coulsfield to replace him. The Board is very grateful to Kirsten and Marjan for all their efforts as Trustees and supporters of the charity and the School, from its crea�on to the present day.

The charity ran con�nuously throughout 2025 and was administered through a monthly mee�ng every month of the year during term �mes. Full records of the monthly mee�ngs are taken by the Secretary and circulated to the trustees and approved at the next monthly mee�ng. Likewise, the budget was set and approved monthly by the trustees.

The main responsibili�es of the Board are to ensure good governance of the School, safeguarding, fund-raising, and the administra�on of the finances.

Objec�ves of the School

To teach Ukrainian children and students, from ages 5 years to 18 years, Ukrainian language, customs, art, history, and heritage.
To teach core academic subjects such as mathema�cs, the English language, and business studies.
To promote social skills, which will help our students to integrate successfully within their local community and to foster confidence when working within groups, notably the primary school children.
To provide extra-curricular ac�vi�es to gain a wider perspec�ve of Ukrainian and Sco�sh culture, as well as having fun together, which helps to forge las�ng rela�onships.
To help the children and students cope with the emo�on of being refugees from war-torn Ukraine.

Achievement & Performance: Highlights of 2025

January 25 to June 25: We completed the School’s Second Year in June 2025 with a prize giving ceremony at St John’s Episcopal Church when prizes were awarded to 30 children for achievement and a�endance. The 100 supporters and parents were entertained by the children and teenagers performing singing, poetry, and dancing.

Apprecia�on: We are very grateful to George Heriot’s School who allowed us to use classrooms free of charge for a second year un�l June 2025. We were also grateful that St Cuthbert’s Parish Church and St John’s allowed us to use their room facili�es on the occasions when George Heriot’s classrooms were unavailable.

Major Change: The major change of 2025 came in August, when the teachers decided to run the School for four hours every Saturday during term �me, instead of two and a half hours, and start at the later �me of 10.30am instead of 9am because several children and teachers travel from Glasgow, Fife, Eyemouth, and the Borders. In consequence we used five churches for our weekly mee�ngs in the autumn of 2025; in addi�on, to the two churches men�oned earlier, we are grateful to Greyfriars Kirk, St Stephen’s Comely Bank, and Barclay Viewforth Church for rooms and facili�es.

August to December 2025 : The “new school day” resulted in twelve new children joining the School and we have had over 30 a�ending regularly every week, whatever the weather and wherever the loca�on! We have a large 15/16-year-old group who have grown in confidence in their studies and have matured in character. The younger children too have enjoyed the company of one another, and all the children have progressed in the Ukrainian language, history, art, dance, mathema�cs, English language, and social skills.

Accredita�on: Ukraine on 29 September 2025. This means that learning results are recognised by Ukrainian schools without addi�onal assessment or loss of the academic year. Teachers in verified schools can also have their teaching experience officially recognised.

Extra-Curricular Ac�vi�es: Throughout 2025 we increased the frequency of the extracurricular ac�vi�es thanks to Na�onal Lo�ery funding, together with dona�ons from John Watson’s Trust and Mission of Innocents. The ac�vi�es included four museum visits, a castle visit, games, art, dancing, story-telling, first aid, and the beach trip to North Berwick via the train. The la�er was a very special and fun day for the Ukrainian families.

Charitable Ac�vi�es: The children and parents have supported other charitable ac�vi�es in the local community including a visit to the Braeburn Care Home where they sang songs and recited poems, and par�cipated in the “Shoebox Appeal 2025” Christmas ini�a�ve.

Fund Raising : We raise funds to pay the Ukrainian teachers for their contribu�ons and meet expenses – mainly snacks for the children, room hire and travel costs for two teachers. In 2025 we raised £23,517 thanks to the generosity of the Na�onal Lo�ery, the Edinburgh

Trades Fund, six super donors, private dona�ons, dona�ons from two private schools and two other chari�es, and parental contribu�ons.

The outstanding commitment of the eight Ukrainian teachers, and the conscien�ous support from six English language teachers has ensured that the children not only receive high standards of teaching in a fun atmosphere but also hope for the future.

Future Plans: in June 2026. A decision will have to be made shortly to decide if the School should con�nue for a fourth year star�ng in August 2026. This will be dependent upon the number of teachers remaining in Scotland, the likely size of the student intake, and whether the trustees think they can raise sufficient funds.

Sadly, the war in Ukraine is not over, and some of our families have no homes to go back to. We pray for be�er days ahead for the Ukrainian na�on and everyone that our School supports.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding has been organised by one of the trustees, a former Human Resources Director, and a trained safeguarding supervisor and administrator for St Cuthbert’s Church. Her exper�se ensured that a safeguarding policy was put in place and all safeguarding requirements were met by all the teachers. Karina Kutuzova, one of our parent Trustees, has taken over as Safeguarding Administrator. Hanna Tekliuk remains in her role as Safeguarding Supervisor.

Likewise, the trustees, who are in regular contact with the children have all undertaken the essen�al safeguarding training and are Protec�ng Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme registered.

Apprecia�on

The Ukrainian teachers led by the Director of Educa�on, assisted by the Sco�sh teachers, have worked �relessly to provide the teaching support to the Ukrainian children.

The people and organisa�ons, churches and schools of Edinburgh and West Lothian have supported this charity generously because of their concern for Ukraine and its children resident in Scotland through making financial dona�ons and giving their �me.

We thank in par�cular the Ukrainian Teachers throughout the year: Hanna Tekliuk, Nataliia Shulpina, Malvina Kustro, Valentyna Yanchevska, Taisiia Taranovska, Liudmyla Bubniv, Inna Maksymenko (re�red June 2025), Anna Povazhna, and Oksana Sayapina. Likewise, we thank the English Language volunteer teachers for giving their �me to the Ukrainian children; namely Sandy Frost, Ma� Hosgood, Dr Alison Niven, Elaine Ford, Faith Sutherland, and Irene Richardson.

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2025

These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis.

1. DONATIONS AND GRANTS: £19,112

Organisa�ons Edinburgh Trades Fund The Na�onal Lo�ery John Watson’s Trust Mission of Innocents Broxburn and Uphall Churches Lore�o School Other group dona�ons Private dona�ons Private dona�ons Total Dona�ons and Grants	Amount £2,280 £7,820 £300 £550 £812 £712 £586 £6,052 £19,112

A dona�on of £2,000 was received on 10 January 2026 from a charity fund raising event held in November 2025 which will be included in the next set of accounts.

Gi� Aid claims have been made on eligible dona�ons received up to the end of December 2025, resul�ng in addi�onal receipts in January 2026 totalling £2,257 which will also be included in the next set of accounts.

2. PARENTAL CONTRIBUTIONS: £4,405

Parental contribu�ons £4,405

Parents are asked to contribute towards monthly teaching costs, where they are able. These contribu�ons are greatly appreciated.

3. PAYMENTS RELATING DIRECTLY TO CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES: £20,310

Ukrainian teachers	£15,772
School day snacks	£1,590
School day room hire	£1,186
School day travel	£846
Extracurricular ac�vi�es	£916

£20,310

Payments are made to Ukrainian teachers for delivering classes and extracurricular ac�vi�es (where appropriate). Other (UK na�onal) teachers provide their �me without payment.

We provide break�me snacks for the children to maintain their energy and enthusiasm. We are very thankful to the parents who help with prepara�on.

Following the move to a longer school day a�er summer 2025 the School uses rooms and sanctuary spaces in various city centre churches for classes. We are very grateful to the churches involved for the access provided and make a small payment each week for the use of their facili�es.

to assist in the Saturday school.

Extracurricular ac�vi�es are o�en provided where we visit museums and places of interest, or where the ac�vi�es take place in the Saturday school premises. We incur costs for teacher supervisors, travel, refreshments, and materials for off-site ac�vi�es, as well as prizes.

4. OTHER COSTS: GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION: £210

Independent Examiner £100 Prin�ng £110 £210

The annual report and accounts are reviewed by an Independent Examiner who receives a small honorarium for his services.

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